[IxDA Discuss] Technology for User Research

[mark Schraad]

Maybe I am out of the mainstream, but usability seems to be cropping up as a common denominator for anything user centered. Traditionally, usability testing is something that the human factors of HCI folks had done after the product was finished. It has always seamed too late.

User experience or user interface research, on the otherhand is proactive. It occurs prior and during the problem definition. It also occurs during the design process in small incremental stages. Are we all using this word "usability" as a catch all for everything user centered? I know my clients are - which causes me to stop and ask for clarification just to make sure we are speaking the same language.

Mark


>
>I hate lab usability, for reasons cited here:
>http://adaptivepath.com/publications/essays/archives/000569.php
>
>--peter
>